Investing in Education: the case of Cyprus

Investing in Education: the case of Cyprus

Elpida Keravnou-PapailiouPresident of the Governing Board Cyprus University of Technology

EUNEC Seminar31st May 2010

31 May 2010 EUNEC-2

Presentation

• Some facts and figures for Cyprus

• Educational reforms in Cyprus

• Higher education

• Research, innovation and growth

• Concluding remarks

31 May 2010 EUNEC-3

Some facts and figures for Cyprus:Economic Situation

• In 2009 growth has decelerated from very high levels the previous year– GDP has contracted by about 1.7% due to

• Poor export performance• Falling investment, particularly in construction• A significant negative stock adjustment

– The general government deficit is around 6% of GDP

– Without corrective measures the deficit would widen further in 2010

31 May 2010 EUNEC-4

Some facts and figures for Cyprus:Stability Programme 2009-2013

• The current international economic crisis has primarily affected the construction, real estate and tourism sectors

• The Stability Programme envisages stabilization in 2010 with a modest growth of some 0.5% compared with 2009

• High priority areas:– Infrastructure

• Transport– Education– Health

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Some facts and figures for Cyprus:Education Units

• 316 public and communal nursery schools

• 347 primary schools

• 9 schools for children with special needs

• 114 secondary schools

• 397 adult education centers

• 25 colleges of tertiary education

• 6 universities

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Some facts and figures for Cyprus:Private Education Provision

• The private education provision is increasing due to increasing demand– 7% of elementary students go to private

schools– 17.5% of secondary school students go to

private schools

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Some facts and figures for Cyprus:Investment in Education (1)

• Main messages under “Investment in education and training” of the official report on the progress of the Lisbon strategy:

– Denmark, Sweden and Cyprus allocate nearly 7% of their GDP into public investment in education

• These are the highest levels in the EU and among the highest in the world

• The EU average on public investment is 5%

– Private investment in education is increasing in the EU, but it is only significant in the UK, Germany, Cyprus and Slovakia, where it reaches up to 17%

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Public expenditure on education as a % of GDP in the EU (2005)

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Some facts and figures for Cyprus:Investment in Education (2)

• Total expenditure on education is budgeted to increase by approx. 3% in 2010 compared to 2009, reaching approx. 8% of GDP

• Expenditure is mainly focused on– ICT in all primary and secondary schools– Construction/extension of school buildings– Financing of agreement with HSPH– Upgrading research and academic institutions

31 May 2010 EUNEC-10

Some facts and figures for Cyprus:Quality in Education

• Progress in improving quality and extension of education in above areas in 2009 was considered satisfactory


Commission’s Key Messages for Reforms:to achieve high quality education and training

systems that are both efficient and equitable

• Establish a culture of evaluation• Invest in pre-primary education• Autonomy and accountability systems for

improving efficiency• Private funding in ensuring equity in higher

education• Clear pathways to further learning and

employment


Some facts and figures for Cyprus:HE Qualifications

• According to the official report on the progress of the Lisbon strategy– Amongst the 27 member states, Cyprus has the

highest percentage (29.7%) of population in the age group 25-64 with HE qualifications

– Cyprus, Malta and Ireland are the three member states with the highest progress in the period 2000-2007, regarding the percentage of their population with HE qualifications

• This is a central progress indicator


Some facts and figures for Cyprus:Student Migration

• Cyprus has a high student migration– More than half of its approximately 35,000

students are studying at universities abroad– Government policy aims to reverse this

situation and in addition to attract international students

• Convert Cyprus to a regional centre for quality HE


Some facts and figures for Cyprus:Research Expenditure (1)

• According to Eurostat in 2007 Cyprus was listed last amongst the EE countries regarding expenditure/investments in research, technology and innovation:– 0.45% GDP (public and private expenditure)– EE average: 1.85% GDP– Lisbon strategy target: 3% GDP


Some facts and figures for Cyprus:Research Expenditure (2)

• In 2008 there was satisfactory progress in almost all research sector priorities– Increase of investment in R & D– Development of research infrastructure– Enhancement of human capital in research– Development of international cooperation

• The contribution of industry to R & D showed an increase in absolute terms, but remained at low percentage levels


Some facts and figures for Cyprus:Main Research Progress

• Gross domestic expenditure on R & D increased from € 61,3 mln in 2006 to €70,1 mln in 2007– Increase of 14.2%

• amongst the highest in EU27

– % increase was only 0.02%, reaching 0.45%

• The number of human resources employed in research (FTE) increased by 1.5%– 1244 in 2007, compared to 1226 in 2006– The number of researchers increased by 7%

• The % of women participating in research activities remained at 38% of the total number of researchers


Educational reforms in Cyprus (1)

• Modernizing the structure and content of education– The formation of new curricula at primary and secondary level is

considered the pedestal on which to build the reforms • A proposed new system for teacher evaluation• The incremental reconstruction of the Ministry of

Education and Culture• The specification of policy regarding English speaking

students• Infrastructure upgrading• The subsidization of labtops to all students in the second

class of Gymnasium• Various measures to improve the daily running of

schools



• Decentralization of school units• Continuous training and professional

development of teachers– The teacher profession is highly prestigious and well

paid

• Incrementally introducing the all day school– Many new jobs will be generated– The economic crisis has deferred its implementation

to the future

• ICT and e-learning



• Higher Education Reforms– Student care package

• Enhance social cohesion• €12 mln

– Legislation for controlling the tuition fees of private universities is under way

– Introducing new programmes of study, departments and faculties

• Faculty of Medicine• Department of Rehabilitation Sciences• etc


Higher education in Cyprus

• Relatively short history• Three state universities

– University of Cyprus (1989, 1992)– Open University of Cyprus (2003, 2006)– Cyprus University of Technology (2003, 2007)

• Three private universities (2005, 2007)– Currently operating under probationary license

• Cyprus signed the Bologna Declaration in 2001


Bologna Process Stocktaking 2009-scorecard for Cyprus

1. Stage of implementation ofthe first and second cycle

DEGREE SYSTEM

2. Access to the next cycle

3. Implementation of nationalqualifications framework

4. Stage of development ofexternal QA system

QUALITY ASSURANCE, ESG

5. Level of student participationin quality assurance

6. Level of internationalparticipation in QA

7. Stage of implementation ofdiploma supplement

RECOGNITION

8. National implementation of the principles of the LRC

9. Stage of implementation ofECTS

10. Recognition of prior learning


External QA and Recognition

• External QA and Recognition Bodies– Evaluation Committee for Private Universities– Council for Educational Evaluation-Accreditation– Cyprus Council for the Recognition of HE

Qualifications

• New legislation under way for the establishment of a Cyprus QA and Accreditation Agency, encompassing the above bodies



Cuts in Higher Education

• There are substantial cuts in this year’s budgets for the public universities and analogous cuts are planned for the next two years– The cuts are primarily aimed at operational

costs and not developmental expenditure– A number of new positions for academic and

administrative staff have been approved


Financially Sustainable Universities:Towards full costing in European universities

• EUA Report (2008) – www.eua.be• Universities to identify the real costs of

their activities• E-university

– The quality of database and information systems influences the time, effort and investment needed for the implementation of full costing

• Funding, autonomy and accountability

http://www.eua.be/


Accountability

Autonomy

one of the conditions thatunderpin the implementation

of full costing

more autonomous universities arebetter able to attract funds from

different sources and moreinternational funding

full costing is one of the key pillarsof accountability:

universities can prove to funders,students, taxpayers and

society at large what their money is spent on


Research, innovation and growth (1)

• In the field of innovation, according to the European Innovation Scoreboard 2008 (Strengths and Weaknesses Report) Cyprus improved considerably its position since 2008, moving from 24th to 13th

• The two measures– Research and Technology Mediation System– Thematic and Innovation Networks

are expected to significantly improve cooperation links between research organizations and enterprises



• Liaison offices between all six universities and industry have been recently established utilizing EU structural funds

• Science and Technology Park– Feasibility study completed– Necessary land for its housing has been

expropriated– Access road to Park has been constructed



• Restructuring of the Cyprus Foundation for the Promotion of Research– Governing Board– Scientific Academic Board– National Research Policy

• Priority Areas for Research


Research

Innovation

TechnologicalDevelopment

This chain has significance for countries with a

vision to become

knowledge economies Technologically developed countries

undoubtedly have a competitive advantage


Concluding Remarks

• In spite of the economic crisis facing Cyprus the education budgets for 2009 and 2010, show increase

• The government continues with the planned, major educational reforms, albeit with reduced speed in the case of some reforms

• Regarding research and innovation, there is progress but there is still substantial ground to be covered

In times of economic hardship

Financial sustainability can be obtained by promoting long

term growth –Education and research are

the two pillars to build on

Documents

Investing in Education: the case of Cyprus